Claim bias is used by hospitality over here
PONTIN’S shameful blacklisting of many Irish surnames is a practice also seen in Ireland, a Traveller rights group claimed yesterday.
Martin Collins, co-director of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre told the Irish Mirror that similarly “despicable” practices happen in the Irish hospitality sector.
He said: “We know anecdotally that similar bans on Travellers are a common practice throughout Ireland especially in restaurants, bars, hotels, and retail.
But groups representing the Irish hospitality sector bodies said they were not aware of any similarly discriminatory practices in Ireland.
APPALLED
A spokesman for the Restaurants Association of Ireland told the Irish Mirror it was appalled to hear of the ban employed by Pontins.
He said in a statement said: “Regarding instances of such bans’ being in place in restaurants within Ireland we are not aware of any such practices.
“Should they be in place we would advise any and all hospitality businesses, whether members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland or not, to cease such bans and discriminatory policies with immediate effect.
The Irish Hotel Federation also denied it would refuse service to anyone based on their ethnicity.
A spokesman said yesterday: “There is strong equality legislation in Ireland prohibiting discrimination.”
He added: “We encourage all sections of society, including the hospitality sector, to embrace diversity and inclusion.”
A MAN was charged with aggravated burglary when he appeared before a court yesterday.
It is alleged he burgled a house at about 4pm on Monday in Rahoonane, Tralee, Co Kerry.
The accused, in his 30s, was arrested near the scene.
He appeared before Killarney District Court.
A Garda spokesman said: “Gardai investigating an aggravated burglary that occurred at a house in Rahoonane, Tralee [on Monday] have arrested a man.
“At approximately 4pm, a man gained access to the residence and proceeded to assault the resident of the property. The occupant did not require medical treatment.”
RYANAIR’S “Jab and Go” ad has been pulled for being “misleading”.
The airline has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland’s who upheld 59 complaints against their Easter sales campaign.
The budget airline ad suggested anyone who got the Covid vaccine would be free to travel.
The majority of the complaints said there was no guarantee they would be able to travel to the destinations referenced in the advertising by Easter.
Meanwhile, Ryanair’s Cork Airport base will not reopen until winter 2021 “at the earliest”.
It blamed Cork Airport’s plan to dig up its runway in September, October and November for the closure.
SINEAD Kennedy rang Marty Whelan to tell him she was pregnant before the news broke publicly.
The Cork RTE presenter is due to have her first baby with husband Conor Kirwan this month.
But despite keeping the news under wraps until she was seven months pregnant, she revealed she made sure to inform her loved ones, including her Winning Streak co-star before the news was out.
She added: “I rang him to tell him my news because he is part of my close circle and I wouldn’t have him finding out any other way.
“He was absolutely gorgeous about it, wishing me and Conor all the best and telling us we are in for the best time of our lives.”